Burnout and the Resignation of High-Profile Women

Jennifer Moss appears as a burnout expert and talks about the reasons behind the shocking resignation of New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Arden with former Prime Minister Helen Clark.

They discuss the human reasons behind the resignation, including that Jacinda doesn’t feel that there’s enough gas left in her tank. Jennifer talks about how Jacinda has validated what many people are feeling, including exhaustion and cynicism, which are strong indicators of burnout. She also talks about the impact of having such a high-profile person discuss their burnout publicly, and how this is a reflection of what we’re seeing globally in terms of the difficulty faced by the workforce in adapting to a constantly changing world.

Jennifer also talks about how public statements like this allow for other people, especially women, to talk about their own feelings when they see such a high-performing, female, public figure share their experiences honestly. She also talks about the disproportional impact that burnout has on women.

The World Tonight is a British current affairs radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4, every weekday evening, which started out as an extension of the 10 pm news. It is produced by BBC News and features news, analysis and comment on domestic and world issues.